Sexual harassment and molestation of women in public spaces is routine in India, but it is often swept under the carpet with the innocuous-sounding euphemism of “eve-teasing.”Gang rape of a woman on a bus in New Delhi raises outrage in India

TOPSHOTS-INDIA-RAPE-PROTESTAJstream

Rapes in New Delhi, dubbed the "rape capital" of India, account for 25 per cent of the country's 24,206 rape cases in 2011. In a recent poll, 92 per cent of women said they felt unsafe in New Delhi.

If the situation worsen then soon #NewDelhi would be called the Rape Capital of the World.#DelhiGangRape #IndiaMehul Vora

In another poll, TrustLaw rated India as the worst G20 country for women.

Trust

One of the reason the country ranks low in TrustLaw's poll is its culture of victim-blaming.

Experts say blaming survivors of sexual assault is common in India. Rather than prosecute perpetrators, many say the fault belongs to rape survivors, who are shamed for, say, daring to walk alone, taking public transportation or wearing certain clothes.India: New Delhi Gang Rape Calls Attention to Sex-Violence Epidemic | TIME.com

23yo victim of brutal rape has died. Indian practice of turning a blind eye and blaming the victim must stop. #DelhiGangRapeSeema Marwaha

An exposé on Indian police officials' perceptions on rape, conducted by the Indian magazine Tehelka, found that a victim-blaming attitude is prevalent within police ranks.

Seventeen senior cops of over a dozen police stations across Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad were caught on spy camera blaming everything from fashionable or revealing clothes to having boyfriends to visiting pubs to consuming alcohol to working alongside men as the main reasons for instances of rape.TEHELKA INVESTIGATION: The rapes will go on

This video from the investigation captures police commentary on several rape cases in the country.

Tehelka Sting Exposé: THE RAPES WILL GO ONtehelkatv

The relationship between the police and citizens has been tested yet again during the protests.

The bus driver ram singh went out with his 6 ...Facebook

Twitter user Shambhavi Saxena, tweeted about her experience in custody over Christmas. She will join our program via Google+ hangout.

Women are agreeing to take a stand here at Jantar Mantar. Got a group of about 10 women and growing.Shambhavi

Politicians have not escaped blame for their role in the treatment of women.

India's leading political parties have offered tickets to 27 candidates accused of rape and a whopping 260 candidates facing charges for crimes against women ranging from assault to harassment over the past five years. As a result, two members of the current parliament and six members of the various state legislative assemblies are facing rape charges, while 36 others face charges for lesser crimes against women.India: To stop rape, start at the top | GlobalPost

In #India politicians with rape charges get elected to make laws in Parliament. In other countries even for adultery they honourably quit.Keshav KPK

Although India has women figures in the political sphere, "the fate of women has not improved", according to author Dinesh Sharma. Sharma says conditions have become worse, adding that Bollywood, and its cherry-picking of western society, is partially to blame for India's mistreatment of women.

Clearly, the big names of Bollywood are to blame here for importing the debauchery of the West, while passing over thousands of years of civilisation development which has made western culture the envy of the world.Rape of Draupadi: Why Indian democracy has failed women - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

Consulting editor of The Economic Times Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar also casts blame on India's film industry:

What’s truly terrible is the manner in which film heroes have for decades pestered, stalked and forced their unwanted attentions on heroines in a thousand films, yet ended up getting the girl. That sends the most outrageous of all messages to the public: pestering girls is what heroes do, and a girl’s “no” actually means “yes.”Films sanctify pestering and stalking of women by Swaminomics : SA Aiyar's blog-The Times Of India

It's sad how women in India now want guns for protection. There shouldn't be a need for protection. Atrocities like this should never happenCharles Xavier

Not all agree with the implementation of harsher penalties:

When we demand the death penalty, do we mean therefore that we should kill large numbers of uncles, fathers, brothers, husbands, neighbours? How many of us would even report cases of rape then? What we’re seeing now — the slow, painful increase in even reports being filed — will all disappearThe Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Let’s ask how we contribute to rape

Despite their varied opinions, most agree that there is a need for change in India.

Her death has shaken the conscience of the nation. We must wake up and make India safe for daughters.Sushma Swaraj

Her greatest betrayal is that we will forget. Political systems greatest hope is we will forget.R only redemption is if we do not forgetShekhar Kapur